


Taking the Duchess Dancing

by LittleLadyBigDreamer



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Eviarty, F/M, Librariansshipathon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7603540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLadyBigDreamer/pseuds/LittleLadyBigDreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eve does what's necessary to get more intel on Prospero's plans, though it isn't exactly what she thought she'd be facing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking the Duchess Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I got completely stuck with ideas for these two since I'm using my original idea for Fleviarty week. But then I came up with this and I had a day off today so it all got written in one day. Also I know very little about Sherlock and Moriarty so if any of this is wrong all I can say is whoops. Anyway I hope you like it :)

"Did you manage to work it out?" Eve asked Jenkins, coming to stand beside him at the desk in the centre of the Annex.

"I believe so Colonel Baird. Just another...little...tweak..." he squinted as he focused in on the device propped up on the desk, what it was Eve didn't know, she wasn't sure she wanted to either.

"I still can't believe you're going through with this," a voice came up behind her. 

"Not helping Cassandra," Eve chided, frowning at the redhead.

"Sorry," the other woman winced, "I think it’s very brave of you though."

"Not really. It's just what needs to be done," Eve shrugged. She was pretending that it didn't bother her. It bothered her. Cassandra could tell, she kept brushing her hair behind hair ear every 3.82 seconds and wrinkling her nose, just like Flynn had told her she did when she was nervous. 

"And done!" Jenkins smiled proudly, adjusting his bow tie as he stood up straight. "Although I have to agree Colonel, are you sure this is a good idea? And to go alone? I'm sure the boys will be back soon, we could send Mr Stone along with you, for backup."

Eve's frown grew as she looked between Jenkins and Cassandra. "I'll be fine," she insisted. "It's just a little meet up, it's not like he's gonna drag me to his lair or anything."

"With all due respect Colonel, we don't know that," Jenkins intercepted. 

"He's right," Cassandra nodded along. 

"And I'm sure Mr Carsen would not want us to just let you go off alone," the caretaker added.

"Well Mr Carsen isn't here to stop me is he?" she shot back, getting a little worked up at hearing her Librarian's name. "Look, my tracker is switched on so you'll know my location the whole time, plus when have I ever needed back up?" 

"That time you got cornered by terrorists with a bomb and Flynn helped you out," Cassandra muttered a reply.

Eve narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Okay first of all I was not cornered, and second, you need to stop hanging out with Flynn so much and believing everything he says. Can I go now?"

"If you must," sighed Jenkins, picking up the device and walked over to the globe by the back door, configuring the two objects in order to set Eve a location. 

"I must," she said pointedly. "That's the whole reason I'm doing this isn't it? Because we don't have any option." With a look at Cassandra who gave her a reassuring smile, and one last nod to Jenkins, Eve stepped through the door, disappearing behind it as it flashed a stunning sapphire blue. 

* * *

Stumbling as the force from the door knocked her off balance, Eve held out her arm to steady herself on the nearest object, which appeared to be a long, tall table. It was positioned next to another table, and another one after that, all lining the walls of the room she was in, all laden with delicious foods and drinks that looked far out of place, like props from a period drama. Looking up at the room she was in, Eve noted that a lot of it could have been plucked right out of a period drama. The ceiling was high, a grand chandelier, for decorate purposes only, hanging in the middle of it, the walls a pastel shade of duck egg, adorned with intricately designed panels of white, matching those decorating the ceiling. A large fireplace seemed to sit comfortably in the middle of one of the longest walls, while opposite large windows cut into the walls, and Eve imagined that in the daytime the light that was let in would be so bright it would feel as though no wall existed at all. Right now though, all she could see was darkness, wherever she was it wasn't daytime. _When_ ever she was might be a more accurate phrase, she thought. She felt like the most out of place thing there, as though she'd stepped into another century, a mere figure of the future that would be invisible as soon as the grand doors opened and the room became flooded with dukes and dames. As Eve looked up at the few wall lamps that appeared to be contributing to the flickering dim light in the room, a voice attracted her attention.

"So you found me," the voice echoed about the room. It was low yet soft, accented to a fine hue.

Eve's gaze shot over to the doors on the far side of the room where a tall, dark haired man dressed in a crisp white shirt, black trousers and a matching black tailcoat, was walking slowly towards her. "Moriarty," she said, slight bitterness on her tongue. 

"Hello Duchess," he replied with a small grin. "Glad you could make it."

"Where are we?" she narrowed her eyes at him, not wanting to indulge him by seeming interested in his little his set up. "Why do I feel like we've crashed someone's party from two centuries ago?"

"Curious?" he asked, still grinning, apparently seeing through her facade to her wonderment at the room she'd found herself in.

"No. Just want to know my location," she said firmly. "If you need to escape from somewhere you need to know your surroundings."

Moriarty merely chuckled, infuriating her more than she was aware she already was. "Oh Duchess, I assure you, you have no reason to be afraid."

"Said the villain," she shot back, unamused. 

"Why do people always say that?" It was his turn to frown. "Antagonist, I've always preferred antagonist. Villain assumes the protagonist can do no wrong and that is not always the case."

Eve glared at him, already tired of his antics. "Where are we?" she asked again, a little more firmly. 

"Welcome to Moriarty Manor," he gave a little bow. "A tad cheesy I know," he remarked at her eyebrow raise. "But what can one do with alliteration."

"This is your house?" Eve asked in disbelief. 

"Mm," he nodded. "Well, my family's house."

"Family? You don't have family. You're fictional, you were created as a single character."

"Of course I have family, Duchess. Everyone does. Just because a description of my family tree wasn't written in any of the books I was in, doesn't mean my family didn't exist. This house originally belonged to my great-grandfather, Lord Arthur James Kearney Moriarty."

"Arthur? Really? You could've used your imagination a little more to get me on board with your little lie," Eve responded upon hearing the familiar name. 

"I swear to you Duchess, that was his real name. All writers put a part of themselves in their writing, I suppose Sir Arthur was no different," Moriarty replied, referring to his infamous author. "My family were a part of his mind as much as I was, somewhere along the line his ideas must have weaved themselves into my own background. Writers often have their own ideas about a character and how they came to be the way they are," he continued. 

"Oh and I guess this is the part where you give me a sob story about what happened to in your life to turn you into the bad guy you are?" Eve quipped. 

"No, of course not. Besides, telling you sad tales of my upbringing is not why I asked you here," he answered, a small smile returning to his face. 

"Right. I agree, let's get straight to the point. Why don't you just tell me everything you know about Prospero's plans instead of doing this whole song and dance," she said. 

"Why Duchess," he stepped even closer to her, "the song and dance is the point entirely." 

 

At his last word the light humming of classical music began to play around them, filling the air with romance and serenity, one final push transporting them to the past. Moriarty bowed a little as he held out a hand to the bewildered Guardian. "I did say I'd take you dancing," he said. 

"And _I_ said I'd meet you to discuss what Prospero is up to," Eve retorted, "I did not agree to this- this time warp."

"Humour me?" he replied, tilting his head slightly. "I'll still tell you what you want to know. You get what you want, I get what I want."#

"Fine," Eve relented, taking his hand. "But I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion."

Moriarty smiled as he slipped an arm around her waist, looking down at her skinny jeans and button up shirt. "Don't worry. I think you look divine."

"So," Eve said as they slow danced their way around the ballroom.

"So what?"

"Prospero. What is he up to?"

"Come now Duchess, at least let us have a few moments to ourselves before we get down to business," he pleaded as he led her across the dancefloor. 

"Fine," Eve said again. "Where exactly are we? I know we're at your family's place but where exactly is that?"

"A village just a little way past Buckinghamshire. We owned a lot of the farm land for years, some of the village locals were our tenants," he explained. 

"So you guys were like the rulers of the land?" she queried. 

"Not necessarily rulers but...something not far off from that," he answered. 

"Okay. So what's Prospero up to?" she asked again. 

Moriarty couldn't help but laugh. "If only you were this keen to spend time with me," he grinned, spinning her outwards, starling her a little. "If you're not careful I might actually get offended."

Eve rolled her eyes and he spun her back towards him, bumping against his chest upon her return. "So did you grow up here?" she asked, complying with his desire to talk less about work. 

"I was at a boarding school on the other side of the city for many years, but yes, when I wasn't there I was here. It's often strange looking back, everything seems the same as it did back then but a lot smaller, though I'm sure you'll agree that it's no easy fate for anything in this house to look small," he laughed softly. 

"You went to boarding school?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. 

"From the age of five to sixteen, required of all the boys in my family," he told her. 

"Only the boys? Of course," she scoffed. 

"Try not to be disgruntled Duchess," he smirked at her response. "There were _only_  boys in our family. Well, I did have a younger sister but she never made it to three," he revealed.

"Oh I'm sorry," Eve said sympathetically. "What happened?" 

"Tuberculosis," he replied simply. "She was ill for a while but they said she wouldn't have felt anything in the actual event, she was asleep when it happened."

"Oh. That's a little better," she said before wincing. "I mean not- comforting. It's probably a little more comforting knowing she didn't hurt."

"You needn't worry about offending me, it was a long time ago. I made my peace with it, and I'm a big boy anyway," he replied. 

"Hold on," Eve said as they began stepping across to the other side of the large room. "How is this place real? How does it exist in this world?"

"It doesn't," he confessed. "Not really, not in your world."

"So which world is it? How am I here?" she asked, puzzled and slightly alarmed. 

"It's...my world. In a sense," he tilted his head with a wince, wondering how best to explain it to her, all the while loving the feel of her in his arms.

"You better tell me what the hell dimension I'm in English," she glared at him. 

"It's like...my memory."

"Your memory."

"Yes, it's everything I've known, just how I remembered it as a child."

"But I still don't get it. If this is a memory, it's all in your head, it doesn't exist, not really. How is it...tangible? It's fictional," she furrowed her brows.

"So am I, yet here I am," he said in a low voice, staring into her eyes. 

"Yeah but you were..."

"Summoned?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "But you were taken out of the fictional world and into the real one..."

"This one is real, Duchess. Just real to me. _I_  summoned _it_ ," he explained.

"That's how it's kinda real? Like you?" she tried to piece everything together.

"Now you're getting it. Look, just because I am a 'villain', doesn't mean I am all the time. I'm not bad all the time, especially not when it comes to people I admire," he said, not taking his eyes of her. Eve stiffened as he spoke, gulping as his gaze washing over her felt like a detector of some sort, seeing into her deepest thoughts and desires. "Prospero summoned _me_. I never asked for this, I'm only doing his work because I have to, I have no choice. Do you honestly think I like working _for_  someone, being ordered around? We're builders remember, we go by our own rules. I have no care for Prospero's plans, I have, however, come to care about you. So when I contacted you to meet me I knew this would be the safest place."

"Prospero can't get to you here?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head. "This is my memory. He has no recollection of it. It doesn't exist to him."

"So...you do know what he's up to?" she questioned with a grin.

"Always so focused on the case at hand," he laughed. "Look Duchess I don't know his final plan, he won't reveal that to anyone. What I do know is that whatever he has planned is big and it will put you and your friends in a lot of danger. I'll do what I can to keep you safe but I can't say much else except for be aware. You should probably tell your Mr Carsen if you can get a hold of him."

"What makes you think I can't just go back to the Library and tell him?" Eve inquired with another frown.

"Because you're here. Alone. I hardly believe he'd be okay with all this," he gestured to the room, "let alone just let you just come alone."

"Flynn doesn't _let_  me do anything," she said firmly. "Nor do _let_   _him_  do anything. We're partners, we do what the job requires of us, even if that means being apart for a while."

"So he is away? I knew I was right," he replied with a smug grin. 

"Congratulations," her voice was thick with sarcasm. "How did you know anyway? Wait, have you been keeping tabs on us?"

"Of course not," he seemed almost offended. "You're forgetting Duchess, I read people just as well as your Librarian does."

"Careful," it was Eve's turn to grin. "That almost sounded like a compliment."

"I'm not one to shy away from telling someone they're good at something. For example, _you_  are a wonderful dancer," he told her, arm tightening around her waist as they circled the floor. "How exactly is it that you dance so well?"

"There were a lot of dances where I grew up," she shrugged.

"And you went?"

"I watched."

"Well it did wonders for your foot work," he complimented. "It's a shame really, we could've wowed many people had _we_  been partners."

"I'll bear that in mind next time I'm in a fictional world and need a dance partner," she replied with sarcasm. 

"Please do," he chose to ignore her tone. "I would very much like the opportunity to do this again," he said, bringing a hand up to her arm, brushing the back of his fingers against it. 

"James," she whispered, her eyes locking with his sending him a clear message, though the way she didn't immediately back away and flip him on his back told him something else entirely. She stiffened again and her shoulders shot up as she tried to compose herself. "Why are you telling me all this anyway?" she asked, trying to get back on track. "How can I be sure this isn't just part of Prospero's plan?" 

"I told you, I may not have known you very long but I've come to care for you," he said honestly. "There's something about you Eve, I can't put my finger on it but something makes me want to keep you safe. I can understand why your Mr Carsen quickly made a grab for you."

"Actually," Eve smirked, "I was the one who did the grabbing."

"Now why does that not surprise me?" Moriarty chuckled. "Yet again Duchess, you've impressed me once again."

"That wasn't my intention."

"I know. That makes it better."

 

"So, you don't know exactly what he's up to but what _do_  you know?" Eve asked as the music made them unconsciously quicken their pace.

"Well you know he doesn't have his staff?" Moriarty replied, and Eve nodded. "So he isn't as powerful as he could be, as he'd like to be, even with the Staff of Knowledge. He's had to find other means of achieving what he wants, what he needs. He's still doing that now, that means you have a bit more time, not a lot, but some. With Ariel by his side it won't take him long to get what he wants."

"So we have no idea what he's doing, no idea how he's going to do it and about five minutes more to figure it all out?" she raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I thought you were supposed to be helping?"

"I'm trying," he insisted. "Prospero has had time to plan all this but he thought he'd have his staff, since he hasn't he's had to re-evaluate some things. But he's so focused he tends not to pay attention to other things going on around him, if you can find any way to catch him off guard you might have a chance." The look in his eyes told her he genuinely thought they could stop the fictional wizard. As the speed of the music increased, so too did their movements and Moriarty took the opportunity created by the silence to hold her close as they swirled around the room. When the song finally reached its crescendo, he twirled the Guardian around then spun her inwards, dipping her while holding her safe in his arms. 

"I think that's my cue to leave," Eve said quietly, their faces inches apart. 

"If you wish," he replied, tugging on her arm slightly as he brought her back up to face him, still not letting go of her. "I understand your frustration with me and with this whole situation, but believe me I do intend to help you." He let go of her hand to reach into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out what looked like a small metal badge. Taking her hand again, he unclenched her fingers and pressed the object into her hand. "Take this. It will allow me to contact you should I discover any more about his plans," he said.

Eve frowned but kept a hold of the device anyway. "Are you sure this isn't just a tracking device?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Please, if I want to find you all I need to do is follow the beating of my heart," he said as though he were reciting a poem. Eve raised an eyebrow at him for the second time. "Too much?" he asked with a grin.

"A little," she answered, unable to help chuckling. "So, I should go," she let go of his hand and began backing away. 

"So you said," his eyes remained locked with hers until she turned around and began walking towards the door she'd entered through. 

 

"Can't you just stay here? Keep away from him?" Eve turned back around, stopping in her path.

"I'm afraid not. I can't stay here that long as it is. All he needs to do is call for me and I'm gone, he has more power of me than I do myself," Moriarty explained. 

"I'm sorry," Eve said regretfully. 

"Don't be," he told her. 

"Maybe when all this is over...we can find a way to help you?" she suggested, sure she'd chide herself for the comment later.

"That would be much appreciated," he replied. Eve nodded and began to walk away again. "Duchess," he called out to her, stopping her in her tracks once more. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." 

"It's okay. You're planning to do a little more to help us anyway aren't you?" she raised the object in her hand.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Well just make sure you keep your end of the bargain and I might just forgive you for this whole Jane Austen affair you lured me into," she told him with small grin.

"I'll do my best," he placed his hand on his heart as he gave her a dimpled smile. She really tried not to react to him but somehow he always managed to provoke her, whether it in a good or bad way. "By the way, try not to be frustrated and see this as me giving you too few of the answers you were looking for, but perhaps see it as me giving you a break from all the doom, a chance to forget it all for a moment and escape," he pleaded. Not knowing how to respond, Eve simply smiled gratefully then quickly walked away, taking one last glance before exiting through the grand double doors back to the Annex. 

**Author's Note:**

> Anything and everything is appreciated :) x


End file.
